Mechanical movement for electric switches, &amp;c.



W. A; BEHHENS. I

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT FOB. ELECTRIC SWITCHES, &c.

qlgl- APRLICATION men DEC. 6. 1919.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921 3 SHEETS'SHEET l- [gill -J PM J W. A. BEHHENS.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES, 6w. APPLICATION FILED 050.6, 1919.

1,375,245 Patented Apr. 19,- 19210 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- W. A. BEHHENS.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES, &

APPLICATION FILED 0506.1919.

1,375,947., Patented A 19, 1921.,

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

I u Z4 Zf IE :1 53b l vwawtoz 3&3 61 6 60940134},

,rfrEs WALTER A. BEHRnNs, OF'BRCOKLYN, New YORK,

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT non ELECTRIC SWITCHES, ac.

7 Specification of Letters fatent. Pate t d A 1921 I Application filed December 6, 1919. Serial N01 343,0 56.

To all whom it may concern.

.Be it known-that I, WALTER A. B iiREN's,

a citizen of the.United States of America,

residing at Brooklyn, New York, have invented'a new and useful Mechanical-Movement for Electric Switches, &c.," of which the following is a specification.

The main object-of my invention is to provide a -s1mple and inexpens ve mechamsm which can be used to produce a snap action suitableparticularly jfor small switches such as are usedin-electric sockets.

- In-'its preferred form a swinging mem-' -ber. carries a- 'springwhich is'heldunder. compression by another swinging member adapted to ,be manually operated. The

parts areso proportioned and related'that operating member merely compresses the shown :six modificat ons.

' 'of the same.

spring and moves the fulcrum. The basic idea'of thev invention-may be embodied in a 'number of different forms of which I have Figure '1 is a plan view of one form of mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of thesame.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the: a

I 24:, Whentlie operating lever or handle 24 is.

' raised the reverse snap'action takes place.

swinging 'members.

- Fig.4 is an end View of thesupporting frame.-

Fig. 5 is aplan view of a second v form of device.

Figs. 6 and 7 are side views of the same showing the parts in two different positions. ig. 8' is a perspective "view of one of the swinging members.

. F ig. '9 is a plan View of a third form.

' Fig. 10 is a side view of the same.

Fig.11 is a perspective view of the compressioir member of'thisform of device. 5 Fig. 12 is a plan view of a'f ourth form; Fig. 13 is a side view of the same.

, Fig. 14 is a perspective view of one of the I 1 transmittingparts of the latter torm of device. 1

"Fig. 15 is'a plan'view of a fifth form of device embodying one form of my lnventlon. I

- Fig. 16 is a side view and partial section Fig. 17 is a lan' view of a sixth form of device embodying my invention.

Fig. 13 is a side view of the same.

der 32. and t e lever 23 Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the plane of the line 19,19 of. Fig. 17.

The swinging arm 20 is pivoted at 21 to the standard 22. The yoke 23 is pivoted on the same axis and provided'with the operatmg lever or handle 24. The operating compression member 25, has a cross piece 26 in the slot 27, and its ends are pivoted at 28 to the yok e 23. The spring 29 inside of the arm 20,. presses against the cross piece 23 and against the abutment 30 so as to yieldingly hold the parts in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the lugs 31serving as stops for thearms of the member 25,

- and the shoulder '32 serves as a stop for the arm 20. When the mechanism is used for a switch the. parts will usually be supported on an insulating base 33 and provided with one or more contacts 34 and 35 depending upon whether the switch is to be a single or double break mechanism. hen the handle 24: is moved downward it carries the hinge connection 28 of the arms of the swinging member 25 past the axis 21 of the member 20 and at the same time increases the compression of the spring 29. When the pivot 28 swings past the pivot 21'the pressure ofthespring throws the arm 20 downward with a snap action, the base 33 serving as an abutment for arm 20 and handle In the second form of device shown in Figs. 5-to 8 inclusive the arm 20 and the lever 23 are pivoted on the pin 21, The link 25 is pivoted at 28 to the lever 23' and has one end 26' bent at right angles and projecting through the slot 27 in the 20.

in Fig. 6 the spring pressesthe operating member 25 so as to hold the arm 20 an the, lever 23? yieldingly in engagement with the base 33. When the leveris lifted to the position shown in Fig. 7 the .arm 20' snaps into en agement with the stop shoul- I strikes against the stoIp 31'. v

n the third form of mechanism illustrated in Figs. 9 to 11 the main arm -20"'is U- shaped'and pivoted on the pin 21 which is carried by the U-shaped support '22.'.' The lever 23" is pivoted on the same axis and has one endextended andprovided with a.

' 343,055. In the fifth form in Figs. to 16,-thehole 'toj receive the end 28" of the swinging member 25". The other end of thelatter member is notched to receive one end of a slide or abutment 26 the opposite sides .of the arm other end of ,the abutment receives the thrust of the spring 29 whichis located in one oftheside-"platesin the arm 20f. In"

the position shown, thearm :20 presses against a part of the base 33", and the lever 23 presses against the stop shoulder; 36; When the lever 23" is raisedthe link pushes against the cross; piece 26- and com- 5 passes below presses thespring until'thehinge connection between the lever '23". and the link-25" pressureof the spring is exerted to-snap' the arm 20'. upward away from the base The up'ward swlnging movement of the arm--20" I upward movement of. the lever 23" is ed by the-stop shoulder- '.31. 4 In the 'fourth formv of mechanism 'illus trated in Figs.- 12'to let the a rm.20- and the .25

is limited by the stop shoulder 3'2",and the limitlQVeIf=23 are both pivoted on the pin21? -and are connected by aglink 22*] one end26 of -Whichisbent to form an abutment ,for

the spring 29 -in andthe other end I a hinge connection 28 with the-lever 23;.

one iside.-ofthe arm 20 Inthis case ahandl'e 24 Jonthej shaft 37 is provided 'to' operate the mechanism. The shaft 37 carries a cam- 38 formed in two 3; parts wi'th'an inclined space' between them nection 2? past the'axis o allow the spring to snap'the' arm20. The '45 shoulder '32- serves to limit the'upward swing for the .wab'blingmember- .39,- oneend of which projects through the slot in the supporting frameand engages a notch 41' 1 in one arm of the lever-23.

handle 24 9 either direction the wabbling lever 39 moves the hinge con is turned approximately 180=in the lever 23? so as to brin the pin 21 and of the arm 20, and the, base 33. limits the downward swing'ofjthe arm. The wabbling.

member; serves tolimit the-swing of the .lever 23*. A construction'embodying the use of the wabbling 'memb'er'of Figs. 12, 13, and

14 is claimed in my companion application main arm 20 is pivoted at 21". The operating handle or key 24* has a' shaft 37'. supported invthe frame-22?.1The slide 23".1,s

' guided-in the frame'22 and provided with a" slot in W'hichthe'eccentric pin 42''carried by the shaft 37" member 25? is T-shaped and has one-end operates." The swinging pivoted at 28 to the slide 23* and the other end guided in the sides of the arms 2O where the springs 2929 are located. The

rotation-of the key 24: approximately 180 in eitherdirection shifts the 'slide 23 so as to transfer its pivotal connection 28 from which is guided in The the pivot 21 whereupon the of whieh is'fbent to form When the key' one, side to the otherof the axis 21 and thus cause the springs 29 to snapithe arm 20 ,up h or down as the case may be. The base 33" 5 in the posi-. -t1on shown in Fig. 16, and the-shoulders 32 serves as'a step for the arm-2 0 serve as stops in the upward positionl In the sixth-form shown in Figs. l'Z'to 19, the arm 20 is pivoted on the shaft 37 which carries the icam'43 "for operating'tlie slide 44. '.A link 25? which is hinged at 28.

to the slide 44 is connected at-itsop-posite end to the frame 20. A spring 29 is inter- Posed between one end -of'the-1ink125 and alug 30.at one side ofthe; arm" 20. The spring holds the'parts yieldingly in the position of Fig. 18.

The arm 20 presses against the shoulder 32 or'the base depend- .mg upon the position of the slide, 44. *The independentlythereof, acompression spring a f carried by said arm and movable therewith a link pivotally connected to said manually operable member andengaging said.

arm and spring so as to compress the spring and when'said operating member is moved -be' yond a certainpoint.

2. Mechanism of the character described comprismg,'a pivoted contact arm, a manu- "said arm and movable therewith,'a link pivotallyfconnected with said manually operable member and having a sliding coni n engaging S spring to operate'the same and move said' nection with said arm arm with a snap action when said manually operable member is m distance. s I

3. Mechanism of the character described comprising, two pivoted members supported independently'of each other and having a sliding engagement with each other,'a sprmg carried by one of said members and movable bodily-therewith, and a-manually operable member pivotally connected with oneof said members, and supported independently of the. other member whereby when said manually operable member'is moved a predetermined distance, the said member which. is ,pi'v ted thereto. stresses said spring .and

moves the other action. a

14-. Mechanismfof the character described,

comprising an arm and alever ,ivoted on a common axis, a spring carried y and movable bodily with" said arm and a link engaging said-sp'ring and directly said arm and-said lever'and; stops for said arm and said lever. 1

operate said arm with a snap action ved a predetermined pivoted member with a snap connecting I allyoperable member, a spring carried by 5.. Mechanism of the character described comprising, a base, apost mounted thereon, a contact arm pivotally carried by said post tion with said contact arm, and a spring interposed between said link and said contact arm whereby when said manually operable member is moved in one direction, it causes said link to apply stress to said spring to move said contact arm with a snap action.

6. A mechanism? of the character described, comprising a pivoted tube having a slot therein, a spring mounted within said tube, and movable therewith, a pivoted operating handle and a link hinged to said handle'and having a sliding connection with the 'slot in said tube' and engaging said spring to compress the same.

-7. A mechanism of the character described, comprising a pivoted tube, a spring contained therein, a lever pivoted on the same axis with said tube, a link pivotally connect-ed at one end to said lever, and at its other end engagingsaid press the same. I

spring to com- 8. A mechanism of the character described, compr1s1ng 4a pivoted member having a longitudinal slot, a lever pivoted on the same axis with said member, a link pivotally connected to said lever and having a sliding connectlon 1n the slot of said pivoted member, and a spring interposed between the axis of said pivoted member and said link whereby the swinging of said lever 40 compresses said spring.

9. A mechanism of the character described, comprising a pivoted member, a U-shaped lever pivotally supported on the same axis as said member on opposite sides thereof, a 'U-shaped hnk pivoted. to said. lever and havlng a slid ng engagement with said member, and a spring interposed between said hnk and a portion of said member adapted to be compressed when said lever is moved. a i 10. A mechanism of the character dc scribed, comprising-lastationary support. a

swinging member pivotally carried thereby and having a longitudinally extending slot with an opening at one side, a pivoted operating lever, a link pivoted to sald lever and having a sliding connection in said slot, and

a compression spring interposed between saidlink and a member.

WALTER A. BEI-IREJS.

portion of said swinging 

